In this information age, people need to be well informed and organized to effectively carry out day-to-day activities, especially when they are traveling and away from their “home” site where they normally conduct their business. As a result, use of mobile devices which facilitate mobile communications such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), and wireless phones and devices is ubiquitous. For example, PDAs of the PALM type allow users to store and organize their appointments, to-do lists and contacts information. Some PDAs also allow the users to access the Internet to upload and download information, and communicate with other people and information sources via email.
Similarly, wireless phones conveniently allow users while traveling to call and communicate with other people. In case the users cannot remember the telephone number of a contact or it is not handy, or the users want to obtain directions and other information concerning, e.g., restaurants, theaters, etc., they can call operators for assistance. To that end, an expansive network of communication call centers has been established which provides users with nationwide assistance. However, for those users who would normally be able to call upon personal aides at their offices, the operators may not be as efficient or personal in providing information assistance and services as their personal aides. For example, by using conventional personal information management (PIM) software, a user's personal aide may maintain for the user a directory containing his/her contacts information. Based on some description of the contact provided by the user, especially when the contact is frequently referred to at work, the personal aide oftentimes manages to locate the requested information concerning the contact in the user directory. Thus, requests such as “I need to reach Bob . . . I forget his last name;” “Connect me to Bob at ABC Corporation . . . I need his direct line;” and “I want to talk to the sales manager at ABC Corporation . . . . What is his name?” would be sufficient for the personal aide to locate the contact information. On the other hand, an operator typically needs to know at least the complete name of the desired contact and sometimes his/her geographic location before the operator can search a public directory for the contact information. In addition, when the user requests the contact's telephone number, an operator normally provides the desired number verbally while the user may prefer to receive it via email or other electronic automated means for storage and later reference. In that case, most likely either the operator cannot meet such a user preference or its accommodation would incur a significant delay. For example, in accommodating the user preference, the operator needs to, among others, learn the user's email address for the first time. On the other hand, knowing his/her preference and email address, the user's personal aide would automatically send the requested telephone number to him/her via email without delay.
Existing PIM software and devices are often used to store private directory information and personal data, e.g., appointments, to-do lists, etc., but are often not convenient or safe tools for providing directory information to telephone users. Corporate employees in many cases must manually synchronize their personal and their corporate directories, and such private directories are often out of date or otherwise inaccurate, consuming what might otherwise be more productive time.
Accordingly, there is a need for efficient and personalized information assistance for telephone and mobile device users comparable to that which is offered by the users' personal aides or which the users would experience in the home site.